Evelyn 32-2 ULDB Sailboat Forum

I have some play in the rudder. Anyone have info on how to repair? Rudder bearing? Dimensions, materials, drawings, advice? Difficulty level? Sources for materials? I am a neophyte but would like to tackle the project.

Al, we did the standard West System Epoxy bearing injection and it worked great (well, except for one thing). West publishes a tech sheet on doing the job, I probably have it around here somewhere. Basically, you mix up a batch of epoxy with a lot of thier graphite additive in it, drill a few holes in your rudder tube and inject it into the holes. (Drop your rudder and wax the heck out of your rudder post before you do the injection) Then you wait for the glue to kick and give the rudder blade a quick SNAP and voila, a new smooth as silk helm.

ONLY: get an idea what your rudder stock is made from....if it's aluminum it may be a problem because apparently the carbon in graphite causes a voltage potential with aluminum and it will begin to eat away your rudder stock (which ours did)...we fixed it by insulating the rudder stock with some epoxy clear coat and had no more issues and a pretty smooth helm.

Not for everyone, but a simple way to correct the problem!

Oh, one more thing and this is pretty funny. When I bought the boat the surveyor noticed a bunch of weird plastic strips hanging out of the rudder tube on the bottom. They were zip ties that the owner had used to reduce the play in the rudder! He had taken a wire ties, the teflon ones, and inserted them up along the rudder stock. They stayed in because they float and they reduced the vibration and play, yet remained slippery, being teflon. I thought it was pretty hokey, but when I brought it up a year or so later, with Chuck, the P.O., he swore by it (not at it!)

How did you insulate the aluminum shaft of your rudder. I'm assuming that you just applied a neat coat of epoxy directly to the shaft, allowed it to cure and then waxed it before injecting the epoxy/graphite into the rudder tube.

Correct? Do you have any concerns about the epoxy wearing away?

I have lots of play in my rudder that I would like to repair too.

admin wrote:Oh, one more thing and this is pretty funny. When I bought the boat the surveyor noticed a bunch of weird plastic strips hanging out of the rudder tube on the bottom. They were zip ties that the owner had used to reduce the play in the rudder! He had taken a wire ties, the teflon ones, and inserted them up along the rudder stock. They stayed in because they float and they reduced the vibration and play, yet remained slippery, being teflon. I thought it was pretty hokey, but when I brought it up a year or so later, with Chuck, the P.O., he swore by it (not at it!)

Sounds like quick fix for a season... They were probably Nylon 6/6 though. Nylon is a good bearing surface.

darkstar32170 wrote:How did you insulate the aluminum shaft of your rudder. I'm assuming that you just applied a neat coat of epoxy directly to the shaft, allowed it to cure and then waxed it before injecting the epoxy/graphite into the rudder tube.

Correct? Do you have any concerns about the epoxy wearing away?

I have lots of play in my rudder that I would like to repair too.

NO! The insul was done a complete season (~12 months) later, after we noticed how stiff and cranky the helm became by late Sept, that season, 6 months after we did the bearing job.

For the insulation job, I was at work, and the lads came down and mixed up a batch of pox (I should go back and ask), but I think they used a little bit MEK and did 2 coats, washed off the amine bloom with acetone and hit it with some wet 600...then the 2nd coat. If I remember well, they may have taken something and lightly hit the inside of the injected bearings, too...but how they did that with any degree of uniformity around the inner diameter I have no idea. They then waxed the crap out of the rudder stock (after the pox had kicked and cured) and then reinserted the rudder...apparently it went in okay.

BUT: you raise a great point in that, if you are going to have to use something as a barrier to impede the galvanic activity, DO IT BEFORE YOU INJECT THE BEARINGS!!! Hah, had I only known.

In terms of it wearing away, yes I was worried about that but the next season there was no apparent build-up of crud from the galvanic activity and the helm was smooth as silk all season...I think I sold it the next summer so you'd have to ask BLUTO what became of the quick-fix from there on out! Good call on the insulation step.

Bluto has a new rudder...so they have no issues now.

My rudder is very difficult to turn. I am guessing the I need to replace the bearings. I would like to get the parts before I start the project. Can anybody advise the details of the bearings? Are the at the top and/or botton of the rudder post tube? Are they tight fit to the rudder post or the rudder post tube? What size/material are they? Any thing else you can share?

Thanks,

Doug